Three Predictions For Julian Lewis' First Colorado Buffaloes Start

With Kaidon Salter possibly benched for the season, true freshman quarterback Julian "JuJu" Lewis will reportedly receive his first career start in the Colorado Buffaloes' upcoming game against the West Virginia Mountaineers.

As reported by CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz, coach Deion Sanders is expected to hand his offensive keys over to the former five-star prospect for Saturday's matchup at West Virginia. Lewis played most of the second half of this past weekend's loss to the Arizona Wildcats and showed strong flashes, completing 9-of-17 passes for 121 yards and one touchdown.

"I'm glad he got an opportunity," Sanders said. "He got his feet wet a little bit. He got to see blitzes, just real play, and what he needed to work on. And he will. He's a worker. He's going to try his best to get it done. But I'm glad we got to that conclusion."

Below are three predictions for Lewis' massive opportunity in Morgantown:

Protective Play Calls

Predictions Julian Lewis First Colorado Buffaloes Start Quarterback Kaidon Salter West Virginia Mountaineers Deion Sanders CU — Nov 1, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders on the sidelines in the second quarter against the Arizona Wildcats at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Coach Deion Sanders has made clear since Lewis arrived on campus last year that he'd like to protect the 18-year-old's confidence early in his college career. That'll likely result in conservative play calls on Saturday with the goal of getting Lewis some easy completions. As the game progresses, however, expect Colorado's offense to open up a bit.

"I'm more protective as a father spirit, as an athlete spirit, as a guy who knows this game," Sanders said. "I got to protect him. I can't throw him out there and he's not fully ready, and now you jump all over him, and now we in a mental health situation. I don't want that for none of these young men, so we try our best to prepare them and get them ready for the ups and downs of life."

Two Touchdown Passes

Assuming those around Lewis will enter Saturday with some added motivation, I'm expecting Colorado's offense to find some success in the red zone. Wide receivers Omarion Miller and Sincere Brown both came up big against Arizona, and Lewis would be wise to lean on those two in key moments.

Tight end Zach Atkins, who recorded a season-high five catches against Arizona, could also be a reliable red zone threat for Lewis.

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Quentin Gibson, Quanell Farrakhan Get Involved

Lewis' chemistry with fellow freshmen Quentin Gibson and Quanell Farrakhan will make itself known at West Virginia. The three rookies represent the future of Colorado's passing offense, and their work together in practice could result in some big plays on Saturday.

On the season, Gibson has caught 13 passes for 61 yards while also making a strong impact in the return game. Lewis helped Farrakhan to his first career reception against Arizona, a 17-yard catch in the fourth quarter.

Kickoff between the Buffs and Mountaineers is set for 10 a.m. MT on TNT (simulcast on HBO Max).